Going Under
by Mii-Chan 24
Summary: "Your life line... It's been severed so many times... But that would mean you'd died before, multiple times, even! It's preposterous!" FMA/HP CROSSOVER Order of the Phoenix Post-Shamballa
1. Chapter 1

**Going Under**

**By Mii-Chan 24 **

**(Formerly known as Amaya 24)**

**Chapter 1**

**A/n: Hello, old and new readers. This here is my re-write of 'Going Under', which I said I was going to do because the time frame was iffy... Eheh…**

**You guys are gonna kill me. **

**I've changed quite a bit, skipping over most of the stuff I used in the first... oh, six chapters. I know, that's more than half of what I had before. But, but, before you come after me with pitchforks and torches, know that all the mysteries surrounding the Elrics will be revealed. Eventually. This, however, works for me, and we get to Hogwarts all that much faster.**

**If this is your first time reading this, then by all means ignore my ranting and continue along.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**anything**_**.**

- - - - -

Harry Potter was under a great deal of stress.

He had been allowed to return to Hogwarts, yes, and had basically thumbed his nose at the Minister of Magic (who currently seemed to thoroughly dislike the Boy Who Lived), but something still nagged at him, getting under his skin.

Perhaps it was the Toad-Woman at his hearing. She had certainly been unsettling.

Or how he and Mister Weasley had seen the underhanded techniques used by Lucius Malfoy to bribe the Minister.

Whatever the case, the dark-haired wizard was certainly on edge days after his hearing, and even the upcoming Hogwarts return had been dampened by his godfather's unexpected hostility and his best friends' ascension to prefects.

"Harry!" Startled, the green-eyed boy hurried away, still gripping his booklist. They had only received two new books, but were surprised when the school also called for each student to bring a box of chalk for a new course. No one knew what this new course was, and even with their frantic pestering of Mister Weasley and the other members of the Order, they were unsuccessful in finding out what their upcoming year had in store.

After depositing his booklist somewhere he would not lose it, hopefully, he trekked downstairs to dinner, taking in the heavily laden dinner table and the colorful banner proclaiming the occasion. A couple of members of the Order were already there, and Harry found himself sitting next to Sirius and Lupin.

"--Elric today, did you?" Sirius was asking, frowning into his goblet faintly. The werewolf nodded, smiling weakly at Harry before returning to his conversation.

"Yes, we did. Dumbledore finally agreed to let Alphonse join the Order as well, but from what I heard, he wasn't too happy about it." Sirius snorted, rolling his eyes as Mad-Eye Moody wandered into the room, flanked by two blond men Harry had never seen before.

When the walked in, the room fell silent, the children gaping at the newcomers while the adults shared nervous looks.

The shorter of the two blonds smirked, tugging on the edges of his coat lightly. "Good evening, everyone. I hope we aren't interrupting anything." He had the faintest of accents, a strange mixture of German with something else the wizards couldn't quite place.

As Harry watched, he realized two things.

First, that the clothes both blonds were wearing were _seriously_ outdated. It seemed to Harry that they were both in dire need of a fashion consultant from _this_ century. Even wizards wore better clothes than these two. In fact, he couldn't recall the last time he had seen anyone wear a vest like that. It was better suited on Sherlock Holmes.

And second, that the taller blond seemed younger, though not by much. He hovered over the shorter blond's shoulder, frowning apologetically at Mrs. Weasley. "We're very sorry, Molly. We didn't mean to barge in."

Mrs. Weasley flushed, flapping her hands as she bustled around, gathering up three extra plates and cups. "Not at all, Alphonse. Not at all. It's simply wonderful to see you boys again."

"You're staying for dinner, boys?" Sirius questioned, standing to greet the two as they wandered over. Lupin stood as well, and Harry managed to catch the rather uncomfortable look on the man's face.

"Seems like it," the shorter blond sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm not sure about Al, but I'm glad to have a chance to sit down."

The other boy, Alphonse, nodded, taking a seat beside the shorter blond. "It _has_ been a rather stressful day, brother."

Sirius, Remus, and Moody exchanged a small look, watching as Bill and Mister Weasley made their way over. "So... Is it true?"

The short blond glanced up, staring at Harry curiously with strange gold eyes before turning to the wizards surrounding them. "Is what true?"

"About Alphonse." Hearing his name mentioned, the other glanced up, a small frown on his face. He fretted with his sleeves, glancing at his companion nervously. The blond, however, merely smirked, leaning back leisurely.

"And what if it is?" He gazed at all defiantly in turn, pausing a couple of seconds longer with Lupin than Harry thought necessary. Any confrontation, however, was halted when Mrs. Weasley returned with food for the three newcomers.

"Alastor, I'm glad you're here." The redheaded woman smiled brightly, the gesture dipping at the tense atmosphere around the men. "We've been wanting to ask you for ages -- could you have a look in the writing desk in the drawing room and tell us what's inside? We haven't wanted to open it just in case it's something really nasty."

Now that the attention was diverted from them, the blonds put their heads together, speaking softly. Harry couldn't catch much, but what little he did hear seemed to be in a different language altogether. Who were these people?

"To Ron and Hermione, the new Gryffindor prefects!" Harry blinked, having spaced out while studying the strange new duo, and hurriedly lifted his glass, watching as his godfather and the others reminisced about their days at Hogwarts. Harry couldn't help but notice the two blonds listening intently as well.

"I was never a prefect myself," Tonks was saying, smiling widely as she shook her bright red hair out of her face. "My Head of House said I lacked certain necessary qualities."

"Like what?" Harry asked, taking a sip of his butterbeer. Tonks grinned.

"Like the ability to behave myself." Those who heard laughed, and Ginny glanced over at Sirius.

"What about you?"

The ex-con laughed, winking at Harry. "I spent too much time in detention to become a prefect. Lupin was the good boy; he got the badge."

"I think Dumbledore hoped that I would be able to exert some control over my best friends. Needless to say, I failed dismally." The werewolf chuckled, rolling his eyes.

His sprits having been lifted by his father's failure to become a prefect, Harry turned to stare at the newcomers again, a bit emboldened this time. Of course, he wasn't going to ask who they were point blank. Instead, he turned to his godfather, who had tuned out the party. "Sirius...?"

"Hmm?" The man glanced down at Harry, curious. Gulping nervously, he shot a quick glance at the blonds, then looked up.

"Who are they?" The kitchen fell silent, and Harry flushed slightly as everyone turned to stare at the blonds again.

The shorter blond struggled to ignore the stares, but after some time, he sighed, standing up and wandering over to the black-haired boy. After a moment's hesitation, his brother followed.

The shorter blond stood in front of Harry, golden eyes scrutinizing the skinny wizard, before raising his gaze towards Sirius. "Introductions are in order, I guess."

Sirius coughed, nodding. "Harry, this is Edward Elric. He's part of the Order."

The blond nodded, and stretched out his right arm to shake. "Edward, this is... Harry Potter."

Harry expected surprise, or some sort of acknowledgement that was sure to annoy him to no end. Instead, he received a narrowed glare, and the hand that was being offered to him shook ever so slightly before being retracted. "So, this is the Brat-Who-Lived?"

"Edward!" The other blond admonished, looking annoyed. Edward shrugged, a teasing grin on his face, then moved away when his brother pushed him. "I'm sorry about that, Mister Potter. I'm Alphonse Elric. I'm Edward's younger brother."

From one of the corners of the room, Fred (or George, Harry couldn't quite tell which) guffawed. "_Younger_ brother?"

"That's right," Edward growled, obviously sensitive over the subject. "Is that a problem?"

"Edward," Alphonse snapped, turning to glare at his brother. "Stop trying to pick a fight with everyone."

"I'm not," Edward muttered sullenly, crossing his arms over his chest. Alphonse heaved a sigh, as if this sort of behavior was nothing new to him, and smiled weakly at the black-haired boy.

"I'm really sorry about my brother," he apologized again, blatantly ignoring the glare shot in his general direction. "He's... been under a lot of stress lately."

Sirius barked out a laugh, and slowly, the partygoers returned to their own business. Looking relieved, Alphonse sat as well, yawning slightly. "I'm sorry, Sirius. We asked Mister Moody to take us back to Hogwarts, but he said it would be too dangerous."

"Which is a load of crap," Edward contributed further down the table, making the redheaded Weasley twins snicker. Mad-Eye, who had heard the comment, came down upon the blond, smacking him rather harshly over the head.

"I'd like you to call it a 'load of crap' after you get ambushed by Death Eaters," the ex-Auror snarled, stomping away from the blond after a quick intervention by Kingsley Shacklebolt. Edward smirked, nursing his sore head.

Alphonse sighed again, rubbing his temples in exasperation. "Edward..."

Harry laughed, smiling at the blond beside him. Old-fashioned or not, he looked interesting. "So, Alphonse, how old are you?"

"Eh? Oh... Fifteen." Sirius snorted into his goblet, coughing, while Alphonse stared curiously. Harry frowned at his godfather, a faint nagging feeling at the back of his skull.

By now, most of the group was staring at Sirius, who was mopping up his spilled drink with the hem of his shirt, letting loose a cough or two along the way. "Fifteen?!"

"Eh... That's right... Is there something wrong with that?"

"Blimey, mate! We thought you were our age!" George called out, his twin and the other Weasley children present nodding in agreement. Alphonse shook his head, frowning a little nervously.

Sirius coughed again, Lupin patting his back in an effort to ease the other's suffering. "Edward, what _were you thinking?_"

"Thinking 'bout what?" The blond in question asked, coughing back a piece of bread. "Sorry, I was eating."

"You're brother is _fifteen_, you bloody imbecile!" Sirius snapped, while the others looked on anxiously. "You can't be serious by allowing him to be in the Order!"

Edward slapped a hand over his face, dragging it down in a clear show of annoyance as the wizards around him gasped, taking turns staring at him, then at his brother. "Thanks a lot, Sirius."

In unison, the Weasley twins and Ron shot up, outraged that someone younger than they had managed to become part of the Order. "Oi! If he's allowed to be in the Order, why can't we?"

"Enough, children!" Mister Weasley snapped uncharacteristically, frowning at Edward. "Edward is Alphonse's legal guardian. As such, he has the right to allow him to be in it. And... Apparently, Dumbledore deems them trustworthy enough to be part of the Order, so we shouldn't question him."

Mrs. Weasley, who had been chatting amiably with Hermione and Tonks, gaped at Edward. "You can't be serious, Edward."

"I'm not. _He's _Sirius." The blond smirked, ducking his head at the hostile looks aimed at him. "Alright, alright. Not the right time, I get it."

Alphonse groaned under his breath, and Harry stared at the lines on the boy's face. He certainly _looked_ older than fifteen. "Edward, please... I told you it was a bad idea."

Edward immediately sobered up, a scowl on his face. "Don't start, Al. You know as well as I do _why_ I asked the old man to let you join. _They_ don't, and it's certainly none of their business."

"Yeah, but..."

"No buts." The blond stood, pinning everyone with a dark, golden stare. "I don't care what you people think. My brother and I didn't come here to make friends. We're on a mission, and that's that. Dumbledore understands. And that's all there is to it."

With a soft scoff, he turned on his heel and walked out of the room, leaving an angry and slightly hurt silence in his wake. The children were all exchanging nervous looks, and even the adults looked uncomfortable.

Alphonse stood after a few minutes of silence, a pinched look on his face. "I'm very sorry about my brother," he murmured softly, squirming at the attention he was receiving. With a faint bow, he turned and left the room, his footsteps echoing in the room as he struggled to find his brother.

"Blimey..."

Slowly, the party returned to a vague sort of normalcy, halted conversations picking up where they had left off before the strange outburst from the blond newcomers. Feeling a bit out of place, Harry excused himself and tiptoed out of the room, glancing around the darkened hallways nervously.

"...think I don't know that?" Surprised, the Boy Who Lived jumped at the voices coming from one of the rooms they had been clearing earlier that week, slinking towards it as quietly as he could. Slowly, he pushed open the door a fraction of an inch, peeking in through the slat into the room.

Inside, he saw the two Elric brothers, Edward leaning heavily on a wall while Alphonse sat on a stool. The room was dark, save for the faint illumination cast by the moon peeking in through one of the windows, (Harry still had no idea how that was possible, but he had learned long ago not to question things in the magical world), and when Edward shifted, Harry caught a quick flash of silver from his right arm.

"Look, Al. I never wanted to come here in the first place," Edward was saying, pulling down his sleeves before Harry could see what had caused the glint. "But what can we do? The old man says he can get us back home."

"And if he can't? Are we really going to get involved in a _war_ over this?" The younger boy seemed genuinely distressed, rubbing his temples anxiously. "He said we could just use a time-turner or whatever those things are called and get back..."

Edward barked out a laugh, making Harry duck back and glance around him to make sure no one had heard. "_Back_? Back where? To a war-torn Germany? Dad's not around anymore -- Hughes and the others have moved on. Alfons and Noah... Well." The blond shook his head, stretching his arms out in front of him. "Face it, Al. We've got nothing left. It won't make a difference if we stay here, or if we go back."

The younger blond sighed, leaning his head back. After a few seconds, inhaled sharply and stood up. "You're right, I guess."

"Of course I am," Edward chuckled, pushing off from the wall towards his brother. He patted the younger boy's shoulder, smiling. "Now let's go. Hopefully Moody won't mind taking us back."

"You know he will. Why do you always have to get on everyone's bad side?" Alphonse teased, standing as well. Stifling a small yelp, Harry backpedaled away from the door, ducking behind the staircase just as the blond brothers walked past.

Heaving a sigh, his mind buzzing, the black-haired boy made a mental note to himself to keep an eye on the two brothers and headed upstairs, biting back a yawn. As he approached the landing, however, he heard someone sobbing in the drawing room.

Cautiously, he walked towards the room, nudging the room open, reeling back at the sight before him.

"Ron...?" The red-haired boy was sprawled on the floor, blood pooling slowly beneath him, his mother cowering in the corner with her wand out before her. She was sobbing, shaking so hard her wand almost fell from her hand.

"Mrs. Weasley?" Harry croaked, watching as the woman gulped and flicked her wand at the dead body.

"_R-r-riddikulus!_" She sobbed, and the dead Ron shifted into a dead Bill, eyes wide and glassy.

Harry himself was shaking, watching as every attempt from the witch to banish the boggart resulted in his seeing a loved one dead. If he had been superstitious, he could have taken it as a portent of things to come, and despite every fiber of his being screaming out at him to take action and get rid of it himself, something was keeping him back, rooted to the spot.

"I'm serious, Edward. I heard something..." Harry nearly jumped out of his skin when the door behind him banged open, the two Elrics standing at the doorway.

"... The hell's going on?" Edward demanded, eyes narrowed at the still-sobbing woman on the floor, then at the boggart (which had taken on Harry's form), then to Harry himself.

The interruption was much needed, in Harry's case. Shaking his head to clear it, he stepped forward, skirting his dead body as much as possible. "Mrs. Weasley, just get out of here! Let someone else --"

"Oh, damn..." Edward rolled his eyes and shoved Harry out of the way, kicking the dead boy aside much harder than necessary, and knelt before the red-haired woman, pulling her up slowly. "Come on, Molly... Don't do this to us..."

Alphonse hurried over to help, and eventually they got the flustered woman to her feet. Giving Harry an evil look, the elder Elric motioned for the door, ignoring the writhing boggart on the floor. "Open the door, boy. Let's get her out of here."

Before Harry could get to it, though, it burst open, revealing Lupin, Sirius, and a handful of others. Immediately, Lupin rushed forward to take hold of the witch, staring at the brothers with barely concealed contempt. "What happened here?"

Edward returned the look, face twisted into a vague sneer. "We just found her like this. Come on, Al. Let's go."

"E-E-Edward..." The blond frowned, turning to face his brother, whose eyes were pinned to a large, pulsating mass on the floor. To Harry, it looked like cat sick, or some other sort of bodily substance that should never see the light of day, but for the two blonds it obviously had some sort of meaning.

Slowly, the mass congealed, gaining humanoid attributes. An arm here, a leg there, a large gaping ribcage with a beating lump that Harry assumed was a heart. It was sickening, and just staring at it was threatening to bring his dinner to light.

"Al..." Gulping heavily, the older blond walked forward, painstakingly slow in the wizard's opinion, and gripped his brother's shoulder, his face taking on the color of spoiled milk. "Get back. Let them take care of it..."

Alphonse shuddered, falling back with an audible thump as the _thing_ moved. Something that might have been a face formed, and from deep within, two glowing purple points of light shone out, the look freezing everyone in their tracks. It was peering into their souls, sending shivers up their spines.

And then it opened its mouth.

_"Al...phonse..."_ It rasped, reaching out a clawed hand out for the boy. _"My...boy..._"

Gagging, the blond backed up, eyes wide as the thing began dragging itself forward, working its jaw in an attempt to speak, sounds coming from its mouth at uneven intervals, so that it seemed like the world's worst lip synch.

With a growl, Edward bent down and pulled his brother to his feet, shoving him violently towards the other wizards. Then, in a weak effort to distract the boggart, he took his brother's place, meeting the monster's sickly violet gaze with his own determined gold one.

_"Ed...ward... my... little... man...._" The blond clenched his fists, a harsh, disgusted look crossing his features.

"Don't make me laugh," he snarled, his voice cracking slightly. Clearing his throat, the man glared at the writhing mass. "You don't scare me. You're nothing but a _mistake._"

Evidently, the boggart didn't enjoy having an opponent that was willing to face his fears, because it shrank back, dissipating into a light black mist. It hovered on the spot for a few minutes, curling into itself, then condensed into a large, rectangular-shaped... thing.

Edward grit his teeth, a small shudder running down his spine. "Honestly..."

The thing gained momentum, errant swirls of black solidifying into intricate patterns on what was quickly turning out to be a doorway of some kind. It hovered a few inches off the ground, and its facade was one that would be ingrained in Harry's mind for quite some time. It looked like the gates of Hell, sans the catchy _'abandon all hope' _motto.

Edward inhaled sharply, as if receiving a heavy blow to the gut, and reeled back as the gates slowly creaked open. Alphonse whimpered in Sirius's grip, shaking hard enough to make the older man's hold loosen. "Edward!

The older boy seemed to ignore his brother, staring deep into the gate's unending darkness. Harry shivered, watching as the unbelievable feeling of... well, he wasn't quite sure what it was, but it didn't feel nice. It felt like his soul was being torn into, just dragging out every bad thing that had ever remotely touched the young wizard's life. It was like having a dementor before him, but much, much worse because he had no idea what that thing _was_, and even less of an inkling on how to get rid of it.

Suddenly, the cold feeling intensified, and Harry gasped audibly as a large, purple eye opened in the darkness, peering at the congregation with a malicious intent. Edward coughed, and the pupil moved, staring at the blond. Harry could have imagined it, but it almost seemed gleeful to see the young man.

The eye blinked, and when it opened again, hundreds, thousands of smaller purple eyes opened as well, whispering voices carried along on an invisible breeze to reach the wizards.

Harry felt Lupin grip his shoulder, pulling him back as long, black tendrils snaked from the opening, pure darkness aiming straight at Edward. He wanted to shout, to warn the strange blond, but his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth and his head was pounding for some reason.

A blow to his shoulder left him reeling, gasping for breath as the air held in his lungs escaped, and he gaped rather stupidly as Alphonse shot past him, tackling his brother as the black mass wrapped around his torso and limbs.

Absently, the young wizard noted that the writhing things seemed to concentrate more around Edward's right arm and left leg, making them look like large, ominous cotton candy wads of death.

Alphonse's interference severely affected the boggart; the thing yowled in outrage and imploded, leaving behind a stunned silence and the strangest smell of ozone in the air.

A sudden wail from Mrs. Weasley made Harry jump, and with that, the spell was broken -- Alastor shot into the room to search for signs of the boggart, and Sirius and Remus cautiously approached the two blonds on the floor.

Alphonse was clinging to his brother's waist, looking a bit green, while Edward shook his head, a dazed look on his face. "Al..."

"I panicked..."

Edward sighed, patting the younger boy's head, and leaned back, letting most of their weight fall on his right arm. "I'm sorry, Al."

"It's not your fault, Brother," the younger murmured, shakily getting to his feet. "I should have been stronger."

"What _was_ that...?" Sirius asked, ashy-faced as well. He had seen a lot in his life, but the events that had just transpired had certainly taken the cake.

Edward moaned, sitting up. "Oh, damn..."

Ignoring the question and the sickened looks of those around him, Edward stood and stretched, a soft _whirring_ permeating through the room. Alphonse shivered beside him, rubbing the back of his neck agitatedly.

"Let's go, Al." Nodding coldly at the gaping wizards, the older blond shook his head and stumbled awkwardly towards the door, bumping into Harry's shoulder.

The young wizard winced, feeling as though a brick wall had slammed into him, and massaged his shoulder lightly as the younger blond skirted past him to follow his brother.

- - - - -

**Blah. Questions, comments, concerns, flames, please leave a review or PM. Ciao.**


	2. Chapter 2 Part 1

**Going Under**

**By Mii-Chan 24**

**Chapter 2 PART 1**

Mentally and emotionally drained, Harry trudged upstairs to the Gryffindor dorms, struggling to process everything that had happened.

It had been a hectic day from the start, what with everyone panicking over the sheer amount of things to get through before reaching King's Cross station. There were trunks that were still unpacked, owls to be caught, and a variety of other small tasks that had been allotted to individuals who for some reason or another just never got around to it.

It was a relief to finally arrive at the station, though he was rather upset at leaving his godfather behind. He was worried about Sirius coming along with them, but at the time it had seemed like a good idea for the ex-convict to see them off. He wanted to show Sirius that things wouldn't always be as dreary as they were at the Order. There was hope, somewhere.

Of course, that was the furthest thing from his mind in the morning - he was just glad to be back in a familiar place, enjoying the feeling of excitement that just radiated from returning to his home away from his hell-home.

His excitement was marred by Ron and Hermione's quick departure, but he took it in stride, following Ginny through the crowded corridors, hoping to find an empty compartment soon.

Wherever they went, though, they were met with cold looks and hurried whispers - obvious readers of the _Prophet_. He tried not to let it bother him, but he was uneasy. He didn't know what to expect from his classmates.

Ginny did her best to keep his spirits up, but after running through the train twice, it was hard to keep smiling. They met up with Neville along the way, and with Trevor in the lead, they made their way towards the rear of the train.

"I think this is the best we can do right now," Ginny sighed, pushing the compartment door open. There were only two people inside, which meant they could squeeze in.

Harry paled, staring at the two blondes. The girl was a stranger, but he'd be damned if he forgot _that_ face. He cleared his throat, biting back a shiver. "H-hello, Alphonse."

"Harry... Miss Ginny." He looked better, as if a good night's sleep had helped him considerably. There were, however, dark bags under his eyes, though if they were recent or not, Harry couldn't tell.

Ginny blushed, despite having heard what had transpired the night before, and beamed at him. "Hello, Alphonse. Nice to see you, Luna. Have a nice summer?"

The other occupant in the compartment, the strange-looking blonde girl, smiled dreamily. "It was quite lovely. We went hunting for Patupairehe in New Zealand."

"Really now?" Ginny smiled, and Harry wondered if she was as confused as he was. "Would it be alright for us to sit here?"

"Sure." Alphonse moved a stack of books from his side of the compartment, setting them atop an empty cage. Luna stared at Harry for a moment, then proceeded to pull a magazine from her bag, disappearing behind its pages.

When Neville sat down, a loud yowl filled the room, and Harry jumped as a small tabby cat - a kitten really - launched itself onto his head. Alphonse hurried to rescue the startled boy, apologizing profusely.

"I-I'm really sorry," he stammered, sticking the cat back in its cage. "I didn't think she'd cause any trouble if I let her out..."

Luna laughed as the distraught kitten mewled, pointing on that Neville had probably had contact with a grugach. "Because everyone knows cats hate grugachs."

"Right..."

The rest of the ride was uneventful until about midday, when Ron and Hermione arrived. Ron immediately set to the task of devouring every Chocolate Frog in the vicinity, while Hermione gazed on disapprovingly. She kept shooting looks at Alphonse warily, as if expecting another episode like the one from the night before.

Alphonse stared at the spectacle absently before turning back to the window, a sad look on his face. He looked almost depressed as he viewed the Scottish fields, taking in the rural scene with a frown.

Harry couldn't understand why. The view was amazing, and there was nothing remotely threatening about the area. "Alphonse?"

The boy in question didn't bother turning away. "Just Al, please."

Hermione watched him questioningly, but Harry merely shrugged. "Alright... Al. Is something wrong?"

"No..." Everyone was silent, most confused. Harry was surprised he'd even gotten an answer, and was even more shocked when the foreign blonde elaborated. "This place just reminds me of my old home..."

"Where did you used to live?" Hermione asked, curiosity radiating off her.

Al sighed, eyebrows furrowing faintly in irritation. "Berlin."

"You don't sound German," Neville piped up, holding Trevor away from Al's cat. "My gran used to take me there every summer."

Ginny frowned. "Last I checked, Berlin didn't look anything like Scotland... It's not as green..."

"My brother and I only lived in Germany for a short time..." Harry exchanged a look with Hermione. He was hiding something, obviously.

"And before that?" Hermione prodded, rolling her eyes at the oblivious Ron.

Al thumped his forehead on the window wearily. "A small town. You wouldn't have heard of it."

Harry bit back a chuckle at the appalled look on Hermione's face. "Try us."

"I'd rather not." There was nothing harsh or unkind about the way Alphonse delivered his answer, but there seemed to be a sort of finality attached to his words that made the others fidget uncomfortably.

Hermione looked like she wanted to press the subject further, but Alphonse stood abruptly and walked out.

"What the bloody hell was that about?" Ron demanded, catching a Frog as it attempted to escape to freedom.

Harry frowned, shrugging, because in all honesty, he had no idea.

They didn't see Alphonse again until they arrived at Hogsmeade. He had collected his cat and suitcase, and was waiting by the carriages, petting what appeared to be thin air.

To the others, anyways. Passing students gave him odd looks, all which he ignored.

Harry would have given him strange looks too, had he not been able to see the skeletal horse _things_ that had captured the blonde's attention. As he watched, one of the horses lunged, nuzzling Alphonse's side, making the carriage lurch.

Hermione frowned, nudging him worriedly. "What is it?"

Having confirmed the others couldn't see the horse things, he tried to play it off, climbing into the carriage after his friends. Luna smiled at him, as if they were sharing some intimate secret. "I can see them too. You're not crazy."

That did not help his mood at all.

Before the carriage took off, Alphonse slipped in quietly, staring up at the castle absently. He didn't speak, and what small conversations attempted to pick up in the compartment died almost immediately.

Ginny squirmed. "Al, shouldn't you be going with the first years? Since you're new?"

"So you can be sorted," Hermione added, looking excited. Al blinked.

"I've already been sorted."

Harry had never heard of people being sorted out of the Sorting Ceremony, so he was quite surprised. Apparently, it wasn't a common occurrence, as Hermione gaped and Ron and Ginny exchanged strange looks.

"What house are you in?"

Luna smiled serenely. "With Ravenclaw."

Well, that explained why they had bonded so quickly... Alphonse nodded, pulling out a blue and gray tie out from his pocket. He seemed a bit unhappy as he pulled it on loosely, leaning back against his seat.

Amazed, Harry realized he was the first person he had ever seen that didn't seem to want to go to Hogwarts. "Why are you here?"

He really hadn't meant to ask out loud, and flushed under the surprised glances from his friends. Alphonse chuckled mirthlessly, staring out the window. "I really don't know."

**This is a failed chapter, and I'll tell you why:**

**BECAUSE NO ONE HAS VOTED ON MY BLOODY POLL.**

**So you guys a half-assed chapter. School is killing me, and I'd be more willing to put out chapters if I wasn't dying.**

**So, thank you to all who have still stuck with me, and I'm sorry for this little piece of crap. **

**Uh, this isn't mine, if you couldn't tell. Characters belong to their respective owners, and thank you for reading. SEE YOU IN PART 2 **


	3. Chapter 2 Part 2

**Going Under**

**By Mii-Chan 24**

**Chapter 2 PART 2**

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Harry's head was pounding as whispers took over the Great Hall. Their short trip from Hogsmeade had been uneventful, as Alphonse's presence made it hard for any conversation to really pick up.

Once the carriages stopped, he and Luna gathered their belongings quietly and wandered away, Alphonse petting the skeletal horses on his way.

"Bloody lunatic, that one," Ron muttered, rubbing his neck awkwardly. Hermione frowned, peeking at the blonds over their shoulders.

"I don't like this, Harry," she said, tugging on his sleeve. "There's something off about him."

"Like the fact he talks to thin air," Ron added, walking towards the doors. "Did you see him earlier? He's gone barmy."

Harry shivered, glancing back at the horses warily, and hurried to follow his friends.

The Great Hall was now buzzing with worried whispers as the Sorting Hat was quickly swept away.

"Everyone, silence!" Dumbledore's voice cut through the whispers, making everyone fall still. He cleared his throat, and continued in a softer tone. "There is a time for speeches, but this is not it. Please dig in."

Uneasily, students began talking again as the food appeared upon their respective tables. Harry glanced back at the Ravenclaw table, smirking faintly as he watched Alphonse regard the food warily.

Up on the teacher's table, Edward seemed delighted to see so much food around him, and Harry felt himself pale a bit when he saw the amount of food the blonde was piling up on his plate. He was almost as bad as Ron.

Alphonse's groan could be heard from across the hall. "Ed-_ward!_"

The elder blond smirked, raising a chicken wing in mock-salute, and continued eating. Professor Flitwick seemed a bit put off by the show, and pushed his almost-full plate away sadly.

Eventually the food disappeared, and happy and full, Harry turned to watch Dumbledore.

The old man stood, smiling serenely at the gathered students. "It is my pleasure to welcome you all back to our school. We have had some staff changes this year, as you can see. Professor Grubbly-Plank will be taking up the Care of Magical Creatures course until further notice."

A smattering of applause rippled through the hall. Dumbledore smiled faintly. "As our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, we have Miss Dolores Umbridge, who-"

It took Harry a second to realize why the old headmaster had stopped halfway through the presentations. Then he heard it again; the lightest, fakest little cough he had ever heard, even from the Dursleys.

The toad-woman stood, smiling in a way that made her face stretch out like a squashed frog, her frilly pink hair band and cardigan a mockery of everything sweet and unthreatening in the world. "Thank you, professor, for those kind words... May I add something?"

Dumbledore seemed taken aback, but recovered gracefully and sat down. From across the Ravenclaw table, a sour look crossed Alphonse's face. A mirror look of disgust settled upon Edward's, and the two settled down to sulk at the Ministry witch.

Not to say that he didn't try, but the toad-woman's speech dragged on for ages, and most of the things she said flew right over his head. So it really wasn't Harry's fault that he had stopped paying attention after a while. Instead, he focused on the Elrics, who he found to be a much more interesting subject than a toad in pink.

Edward sulked in his seat, gold eyes boring into the Toad-Woman. To keep his hands busy, he attacked the cutlery before him, bending and straightening the fork held in his right fist. Harry paled; the blond seemed rather small and scrawny, but apparently that moth-eaten coat was hiding some serious strength.

Alphonse seemed to be struggling to control himself as he listened to the woman's rambling speech. Luna nudged him quietly, asking something Harry couldn't make out. Alphonse shook his head tersely, jaw clenched at a particularly obnoxious cough from Umbridge.

As the speech continued, more and more students lost interest, returning to the conversations they had started earlier in the evening. Blinking tiredly, Harry glanced around the hall, frowning at Hermione's ability to focus on terribly boring lectures. He could honestly say he would rather suffer through hours of History of Magic than continue listening to Umbridge's ridiculous speech.

"... What needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited." With a final smile, she sat down. Dumbledore clapped, the other staff members following suit, though they seemed less enthusiastic than the headmaster. Edward looked downright pissed, and glared at the Toad Woman instead of clapping.

Dumbledore stood again, calming the fierce wave of whispers that nearly exploded from the students. "Thank you, Professor Umbridge, for that illuminating speech. As I was saying, we have changes in staff. As an assistant professor, we would like to welcome Mister Edward Elric. He has come to Hogwarts from a select school in Germany, and I urge you all to make him feel welcome."

Edward stood, bowing curtly, and shot a smug smirk at the fuming Umbridge. "Thank you, Professor."

The announcements continued, the same as the years before regarding the Forbidden Forest and banned items and so on. Edward resumed his silent war with the Toad-Woman, and Alphonse sulked in his seat, looking as uneasy.

Finally, Dumbledore dismissed them with a cheery good night, and Ron and Hermione hurried off to herd the first years to the common room.

Weary, and feeling unusually put out, Harry shuffled out of the Great Hall, struggling to ignore the whispers and looks that followed him. He felt sick to his stomach, and for the first time in a long time, he felt truly alone. He knew his friends weren't always going to be there.

Ducking into one of the lesser-known hallways, the Boy-Who-Lived leaned against the stone wall, the day's events boiling down into a pounding ache at his temples. He wanted to punch someone, or something - anything that would alleviate the stress building up in his shoulders.

"... Swear, I was ready to punch that _weibsstück_ in between those freakish, bulging eyes!"

"Edward, you know I don't like her either, but there's no need to call her a bitch..."

"If she gets in my way again, her face is going to have a very painful date with my _fist_. Assistant Professor! Damn it! That ruins everything!"

Panicking, Harry ducked behind a tapestry, sighing softly. Thank God Hogwarts had so many nooks and crannies for hiding.

Edward stalked down the hall, shoulders hunched in irritation. Alphonse followed, tie loosened considerably, looking tired. "Ed... Just talk to Professor Dumbledore. He'll restore your spot..."

The shorter blond huffed, stopping before the portrait of a squat, old man with a pointed beard. "I don't care that she banned me from teaching Alchemy, Al. I care that she ruined _the plan_. Without the plan, we've got nothing, and I don't want to have to waste time trying to think of another one."

The old man in the portrait smirked, crossing his hands before his lap. Alphonse frowned. "Ed, just rest. We'll figure things out tomorrow, okay?"

Nodding wearily, Edward hugged his brother tightly, a strained look on his face. "Don't let those snobby brats get the best of you, Al."

"I'll do my best," Alphonse chuckled, wandering towards the Ravenclaw Common room. Waiting until he was out of sight, Edward turned to the portrait.

"Alright, Nick. Enough with the smirk. What'd you come up with?" the old man shook his head silently, and Edward sighed. "Figures... Whatever. Just let me in."

"Password?" 'Nick' questioned, making Edward grit his teeth.

"All is one, one is all. Now let me in, you sorry excuse of an alchemist!" Smirk still plastered on his face, the man nodded, swinging open, revealing a small door set into the wall. Grunting faintly, the blonde walked in, and the portrait slammed shut.

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**Ha. So, just because I was feeling twitchy, I'm cutting it off here and posting it as the second part to chapter 2. ^-^**

**It's short, but that will change, I assure you. You guys voted, so long chapters it is! Thanks a lot, guys. Review, please! It makes me want to write faster!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Going Under: Chapter 3**

**By Mii-Chan 24**

**A/N: Yey... Update. Before I forget, though... **

**1. I have a deviantArt now. You can visit me, spam me, whatever. I don't have much on it yet, but hopefully I will... Eventually.**

**2. This is the important one: I appreciate your input, guys. Seriously. It helps me make so many decisions its not even funny. There is ONE thing I won't tolerate, though, and that's people TELLING me what to do. I can understand suggestions. I'll take them all into consideration. But flat-out telling me what to do? Not happening. I know what I'm doing with the fic, and I don't need people back-seat writing.**

**Thank you for putting up with my rantings. Go on now. Read. You know you want to.**

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Harry's mood the next morning was sour at best. After the fight with Seamus that night when he arrived at the Gryffindor common room, and the bitter silence that continued when they awoke, he was ready to bite someone's head off.

He was sick of being treated like a freak and a leper. He hadn't chosen his life! Why couldn't people understand that? He had no reason to lie like the Prophet was saying - he wasn't an attention-seeking whore, contrary to what the wizarding world thought.

Ron walked with him down to the common room, trying in vain to cheer him up. His stormy mood threatened to swallow him, though, and his efforts to forget his situation failed miserably.

Annoyed, he snapped at Hermione as they caught her on their way to breakfast, making him feel guilty immediately after. He didn't want to be a prat, but he was tense; Dumbledore ignoring him at his hearing, and the absolute bull the _Daily Prophet_ was spouting was fraying his nerves.

He reached his limit when a pack of Ravenclaw fourth-years scurried away from his gaze, huddling as if worried he'd lunge after them and attack stragglers. He could barely contain his growl as he, Hermione, and Ron followed the blue-clad students into the Great Hall.

He glanced up automatically, frowning at the suspicious lack of Hagrid. He would have to ask McGonagall where he was... Or Dumbledore, if the old wizard was willing to look at him.

He looked away, eyes wandering down to the end of the Ravenclaw table. Alphonse sat alone, the spoon in his mouth forgotten, entranced with the book before him. There was almost a circle of empty seats around him. Was he alone because he wanted to? Or were others as suspicious of him as Harry was?

Edward opened the side door beside the staff table, sticking his head out cautiously, as if hoping to avoid someone. When he deemed the coast clear, he walked out, making a beeline to his brother. He wandered over casually, petting his Alphonse's head affectionately. The younger blonde looked up, grumbling good-naturedly, and stood, following him up to the staff table.

"Should he be doing that?" Hermione questioned, following his gaze up to the blondes. Ron shrugged.

"Who cares? They're related, right? And the professors don't seem to care." Apparently, the Elrics were well known amongst the Hogwarts staff. Flitwick greeted Alphonse happily, as if he and the young boy were old friends, and the blonde returned the gesture.

The only person who seemed truly upset over the arrangement was Umbridge, who glared daggers at the two newcomers. She huffed, stomping over to the brothers, making students scurry away from her immediate line of sight.

Glancing up at the increased whispers, Edward frowned. When he saw it was Umbridge, a large smirk spread across his face. He stood nonchalantly, ignoring Alphonse's hissed warning. "Is something wrong, Professor Umbridge?"

"Students should not be seated at the staff table!" The witch purred, obviously struggling to keep her temper under control. Alphonse frowned.

"I'm not sitting here, though..." He muttered, looking away from the Toad-Woman's gaze. "I was just talking to my brother..."

"And that's not against the rules, _Dolores_," Edward drawled, letting the words roll off his tongue in disdain. Umbridge gaped, unused to such defiance, and spluttered incoherently for a few minutes. Her cheeks resembled two bright tomatoes as she glared hatefully at the Elrics.

"No," she began slowly, hands twitching, restraining herself from reaching for her wand. "But it is looked down upon. Students cannot mingle with teachers as if they were friends."

Edward rolled his eyes, bored with the conversation. "He's my brother, lady. I have a right to make sure he's okay."

"Why wouldn't he be okay?" Umbridge countered. "Hogwarts is a perfectly safe institution."

Edward's smirk grew. "That's not what you and your little _toadies_ at the Prophet have been saying."

Harry wasn't sure if the Elrics could be trusted, but at the moment, he sure as hell was rooting for them.

"Well, I... That's not..." Edward's smirk never dipped as he pushed his way past the flabbergasted professor, Alphonse trailing after him nervously. The hall was silent as they made their way out, but as soon as the doors closed, frantic babbling broke out amongst the students.

Umbridge fumed, red with rage, and looked around the Hall for someone to take it out on. A Hufflepuff second year, the closest student within range, ended up being the target, and Harry winced as the poor boy trembled under the older witch's anger.

Ron clucked sympathetically. "Poor bloke. It's terrible to deal with something like that so early in the morning."

Before he could respond, Angelina dragged him away, briskly informing him about the Quidditch try-outs for their new keeper. Since Oliver Wood was gone, they would really have to step up their efforts if they wanted to win the cup.

From there, timetables were passed out, and he was whisked away in talk of classes and courses and O.W.L.s. It was a whirlwind, throwing his mind into a frenzy that refused to settle until some time in the middle of Binn's History of Magic class.

He and Ron played hangman for the better part of the period, struggling hard to stay awake through the ridiculously boring class. When they gathered their things to move on to their Double Potions, Hermione coldly informed them she was considering not sharing her notes.

"Hermione, you can't do that! We'll fail," Ron muttered, shivering as they entered the dungeons. Harry nodded.

"You're just so much smarter than us... You've got the brains to get through Binn's lectures... We're not that good..." She rolled her eyes, smiling faintly, and followed Ron into Snape's classroom.

Harry was surprised to see Edward sitting at Snape's desk, flipping through an old potion's book with a bored expression on his face. Alphonse sat beside him, whispering urgently. When the door opened, he snapped his mouth shut with an audible _click_, looking around guiltily.

Edward glanced up, chuckling faintly. "Well, well. Look who's here."

Ron frowned, following Harry and Hermione to their seats. Hermione looked nervous, and pulled her textbook out to keep her hands busy.

"Brother," Alphonse sighed, ruffling his hair with mild irritation. "You need to stop that."

Edward responded with a cheeky grin, and tossed his book behind his shoulder as students began taking their seats. "Sit down, Al."

"I'm sitting because I want to, not because you told me to," the younger blonde grumbled, wandering to the back of the class. People whispered to their neighbors, glancing at Edward warily and glancing back at Alphonse with burning curiosity.

The young Ravenclaw sat in a corner, trying hard to avoid conversations, despite the growing group of girls surrounding his immediate area. His tie was loose, hanging limping off his neck, and his robes were messy. He seemed uncomfortable wearing them, and squirmed in his seat uneasily.

He didn't seem used to the attention, or perhaps the atmosphere that Hogwarts offered, and seemed to shy away from the attention. Edward, however, was trying his best to bring attention towards him, perhaps in an effort to ease his brother's discomfort. "Alright, settle down, guys. I'm sure Snape'll be here soon..."

On cue, the door slammed open, and Snape swept in like a giant, greasy bat. Edward smirked, leaning back. "Just in time."

Snape ignored him, waving his wand at the blackboard at the front of the class. "We're making a Draught of Peace today, though surely you imbeciles will find some way to botch up the directions. You have until the end of the period to turn in your sample, otherwise you will fail today's assignment. Ingredients and directions are on the board. Make sure to follow them precisely, otherwise we could all be suffering."

And he sat, lip curling as he turned to Edward. The blond smirked, gloved hands placed behind his head. "Hello to you too, sunshine."

Ron snorted, ducking his head to avoid the death glare Snape shot his way. "What are you doing here, Elric?"

"What d'ya mean, Severus? I dragged my poor, aching body down all this way just for the sake of our stimulating conversations. What do you think I'm doing here?" A few other students tittered. Snape growled.

"Keep your mouth shut or I'll kick you out," he warned, glaring at the class. Edward smiled, pretending to zip his lips.

Harry would have continued watching their exchange, but if he didn't hurry, he wouldn't finish his Draught. He hurried as much as he possibly could, taking care to make sure he didn't screw up the potion. Unfortunately, his spewing cauldron looked nothing like what the potion was supposed to look like.

Edward limped around the class throughout the period, observing the potions quietly. He stopped beside Ron's and Harry's, frowning faintly at the smell of bad eggs and smoking grey clouds. He shook his head, wandering towards the back of the class.

Alphonse was leaning back against the wall, thumbing through a textbook Harry couldn't recognize. His cauldron was simmering lightly, thin silver smoke skimming the surface. Edward shook his head, mumbling softly, a strained look on his face

"I didn't, Ed," Alphonse responded, stretching. "I thought you did."

The elder blonde shook his head, hissing faintly as he leaned against the wall. "Damn it..."

"Your arm?" Al asked, stirring his potion absently. Edward grunted in assent. "Just go to the Infirmary, Brother. Toughing it out won't help you any."

"It's the damn cold, Al, that's all." Edward rubbed his face, glancing around the quiet room. "I can't believe I'm saying it, but... I wish we were in Briggs..."

Alphonse chuckled as if they were sharing an inside joke, stirring lightly. "Do you think sparring would help you any?"

"Maybe..." Edward groaned faintly, limping heavily towards the door, slamming it shut with enough force to make dust rain down from the ceiling.

Ron yelped as the dust turned his potion a deep red. "Bloody hell!"

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Harry sulked under Trelawney's door, waiting patiently for the trap door to open up. He was too mad to eat, and didn't feel like having company. Sometimes he felt that being alone was better... Certainly better than being stared at like a freak and a liar.

The silver staircase clinked down, and he trudged up, struggling to keep his balance with his heavy bag.

Inside, the smothering smell of incense clung to his lungs, and he fought to keep from coughing. At the head of the class, Trelawney sat daintily on a large pouf, humming faintly, obliviously tracing palm lines. Edward sat across from her, bored out of his mind as she giggled to herself like a schoolgirl. "My, my! Mister Elric, I don't believe I've ever seen anything like this!"

"Oh really? Why do you say that?" He mumbled, uninterested. Trelawney giggled again, tracing his palm, glancing at the book at her side occasionally.

"This should be impossible," she mused, biting her lip absently. "Your life line... It's been severed so many times..." She tittered to herself, blushing up at the blonde. "But that would mean you'd died before, multiple times, even! It's preposterous!"

Edward smiled weakly, forcing a thin laugh. "Yeah... Preposterous..."

Harry felt his paranoia go up a few notches. Sure, he didn't believe Trelawney knew half of the crap she was spewing, but the uneasy tense visible in Edward's shoulders was enough to set him on edge. What was that man hiding? Why was he there, and what was he planning?

"Harry!" He nearly jumped a mile when Ron tapped his shoulder, and flushed darkly at the dark look Edward shot his way. He cleared his throat, and sat as far away from the blond as he could. Ron followed, confused, but quickly engaged in the retelling of some event that occurred while he was sulking upstairs.

He spaced off easily, aided by the sickly sweet smells and the dull droning of Trelawney. She would stop occasionally to glance at the younger blond, twittering inanely, before clearing her throat and continuing with the lecture.

As for the young man, he sat by the fire, staring into the flames as if expecting something to fly out of them. His gaze was intense, and with the flickering blaze, his face seemed to gain lines, almost as if piling on years that had been left behind.

"Harry?" Ron nudged his side, a worried frown on his face. "What's wrong?"

"Um..." He coughed, pretending to flip through his dream interpretations, and pulled him closer, quickly mumbling the information he had caught the night before. Ron didn't seem too impressed, but agreed that it deserved some discussion with Hermione.

Bolstered by the faint concession, Harry leaned back, smiling to himself. He was going to find out what the Elrics were up to no matter what.

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Yay. I'm done. Review guys. Give me your comments, your flames, your random crap... I shall take it all.


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